Sylvester Williams

BIOGRAPHY

Sylvester Williams Jr. was born on November 21st, 1998 in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a defensive tackle in the NFL. 

Sylvester Williams Jr. attended Jefferson City High School, where he played football for only one season and started in one game. Not being recruited by college programs, he assembled radiator parts for large combines before deciding to walk-on at Coffeyville Community College. He had 52 tackles and two sacks in 2010.

Williams transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 and played for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team in 2011 and 2012. As a junior in 2011, he had 43 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The following season, Williams was named to the All-ACC first team. He was also named an All-American by Pro Football Weekly.

Coming out of North Carolina, Williams was a projected first round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and analysts. He attended the NFL combine and completed all of the required combine and positional drills. Williams was ranked the fourth best defensive tackle prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, NFL analyst Mike Mayock, and Sports Illustrated (behind Sharrif Floyd, Sheldon Richardson, and Star Lotulelei).

The Denver Broncos selected Williams in the first round (28th overall pick) of the 2013 NFL Draft. He recorded his first career sack on December 12, 2013 against the San Diego Chargers. He had another sack the following week against the Houston Texans. On December 29, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor bobbled a snap and Williams recovered it. As a rookie in 2013, Williams played 13 games with 22 tackles, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The Broncos finished the season with a 13-3 record, clinching an AFC West and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

In the 2014 season, Williams played all 16 games, started 13 of them, making 22 tackles and a pass defended. The Broncos finished with a 12-4 record, clinching the 2nd seed and another AFC West pennant. In the 2015 season, Williams started 15 games with 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Broncos finished the season with a 12-4 record, clinching another AFC West pennant. The Broncos defense was ranked #1 in the NFL in the 2015 year. On February 7, 2016, Williams was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10. In the Super Bowl, Williams recorded two tackles and defended a pass. The Broncos won the game by a score of 24–10, giving Williams his first career championship title after defeating the Carolina Panthers. It was also the first time in 17 years and third time in franchise history the Broncos won the Super Bowl.